1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to surgical devices and, more particularly, to a surgical access apparatus for use during a minimally invasive surgical procedure. The present disclosure further relates to a novel seal assembly for forming a seal about a surgical object while accommodating angular manipulation of the surgical object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Minimally invasive surgical procedures including both endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures permit surgery to be performed on organs, tissues and vessels far removed from an opening within the tissue. Laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures generally require that any instrumentation inserted into the body be sealed, i.e. provisions must be made to ensure that gases do not enter or exit the body through the incision as, for example, in surgical procedures in which the surgical region is insufflated. These procedures typically employ surgical instruments which are introduced into the body through a cannula. The cannula has a housing at a proximal end thereof in which a seal assembly is mounted. The seal assembly provides a substantially fluid tight seal about the instrument to preserve the integrity of the established pneumoperitoneum. The housing extends above the patient's body, when the cannula is inserted into the incision, reducing the effective length of instruments inserted through the cannula and potentially encumbering maneuverability about the operative site.
Minimally invasive procedures have several advantages over traditional open surgery, including less patient trauma, reduced recovery time, reduced potential for infection, etc. However, despite its recent success and overall acceptance as a preferred surgical technique, minimally invasive surgery, such as laparoscopy, has several disadvantages. In particular, the maintenance of the seal about the surgical instrument within the cannula has proven to be difficult in certain procedures, e.g., in procedures requiring extensive manipulation of the long narrow endoscopic instruments within a remote site. In addition, many conventional seal assemblies are not adapted to accommodate instruments of various sizes, while still maintaining the seal about the inserted instrument. Even further, known seal assemblies are relatively complex, which increases the length of the housing in which it is confined. As a consequence, maneuverability above the operative site and the effective length of the instrument are undesirably affected.